Shopping bags are one of the most visible sustainability touchpoints in the customer journey. Customers may not see what happens behind the scenes, but they are left, quite literally, carrying the bag, says Traderbag, a leading supplier of customized sustainable paper shopping bags.
That is why this company is on a mission to persuade South African retailers to completely rethink the use of plastic shopping bags – and for the customers who use them to challenge the status quo.
Strangely enough, online retail and grocery delivery services have embraced paper packaging while broader retail has not.
“For online retail, packaging is part of the delivery experience. When a parcel arrives at a customer’s home, the packaging represents the brand. Physical retail has been slower because plastic bags are cheap, familiar and already built into store operations. That is exactly why this topic needs to be revisited. If online retail can move towards paper at scale, then physical retail can too, provided the solution is practical, affordable and reliable,” suggests Declan Cherry, one of the company’s directors.
Paying the price for plastic
Although the main message has been that both customers and retailers will pay a high environmental price for continued use of single use plastic, little has been done to unpack exactly how much shoppers are already spending. But everything adds up.
Consumers have become complacent to the point where few are even aware of exactly how much is added to the till slip every time they purchase a bag or just how vulnerable they are to potential price hikes, especially if levies increase or manufacturing costs escalate.
South African legislation, which has been in limbo since former Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy exited her post in 2024, decrees that retailers charge a levy for plastic carrier bags – an ideal means of raising returns should government require a revenue top up.
Already, this has increased significantly from 8c in 2016 to 32c in 2026. Levies are usually passed on to consumers with retailers charging shoppers anything from the stipulated 32c to more than R1 per bag purchased. However, it is far from a level playing field.
Recycling revenue
“From a consumer point of view, there is very little transparency. The final till price may include the levy, the bag cost, distribution, handling and retailer margin. But if the charge is being positioned as environmental, consumers should have more clarity on where that money goes and whether it is reducing plastic waste.
“It is also possible that the 32c levy is only the start. Because it is charged at manufacturer level, the final price paid by the consumer may increase as the bag moves through the supply chain, with additional costs and margins added before it reaches the till,” Cherry explains.
Already, more than 100 countries – including 34 African countries – have completely banned the use of single use plastic shopping bags. However, according to Greenpeace, despite these price escalations, an estimated 8 billion plastic carrier bags in South Africa are still consumed annually, but only about 1% are recycled.
“The plastic bag levy was introduced to reduce litter and support recycling, yet there has long been concern that the money is not properly ring-fenced for pollution reduction. Industry commentary has repeatedly pointed out that nearly R2 billion had been raised by 2018/19, with concern that it had not been directed clearly enough towards environmental outcomes,” says Cherry.
For now, the main pressure remains recycled-content requirements – an ever more important issue given that virgin plastic is petroleum based and that costs are escalating alongside the fuel price in the wake of Middle Eastern conflict.
In 2023, plastic carrier and flat bags were required to move from 50% post-consumer recyclate to 75% in 2025, and then 100% from January next year. Non-compliance can carry serious penalties, including fines and possible imprisonment.
“The challenge is not only whether 100% post-consumer recyclate is technically possible, but whether there is enough consistent, high-quality recycled material available at scale. Large retailers need reliable supply, consistent strength, print quality and pricing. Remember you can only recycle plastic around 2-3 times before it’s unusable. Enforcement is also difficult because plastic bags are high-volume, low-value items, and SARS has already highlighted ongoing non-compliance in the plastic bag levy supply chain,” Cherry notes.
The Traderbag directors believe that there is a very real possibility that environmental levies will continue to increase: “South Africa has already increased carbon tax rates and fuel-related environmental levies, which shows that government is willing to use taxation to both influence environmental behaviour and raise revenue. Retailers should act now because waiting elevates risk. If levies increase or regulations tighten, businesses still heavily dependent on plastic could face sudden cost pressure and operational disruption. Retailers that test paper alternatives now will be better prepared, both commercially and reputationally,” Traderbag managing director, Daniel Cherry advises.
Captions: img 1371 Daniel and Declan Cherry visited Sappi Ngodwana Mill and surrounding area.
3328 One of Sappi’s plantations in the Ehlanzeni District of Mpumalanga Province
About Traderbag:
Traderbag produces custom branded paper bags for South African retailers, with a direct-to-store delivery model and a process designed to take the complexity out of ordering and reordering.
The company’s value proposition is straightforward: great packaging done properly at a scale that works for South African retail. From the initial brief through to design, print, and delivery, Traderbag handles the end-to-end process so that retailers can focus on sales while their packaging supports their branding.
Every bag is printed with water-based inks. Retail clients have a choice of custom sizing, handle options and high-quality print finishes.
The company is based in Durban but supplies customers throughout South Africa. The entire supply chain is South African. The bags are made locally in Johannesburg and Durban. All paper is FSC approved.
Get in touch with the Traderbag team: www.traderbag.co.za
